Structures made of composite materials are being used more and more often in industry, particularly in cutting-edge industries, such as aeronautics and aerospace, but also in the manufacture of series components for automobiles, boats and trains.
These materials have excellent mechanical, static and dynamic properties and low density.
However, structures made of these materials are particularly sensitive to direct shock or impact, which can cause damage or even perforation. These kinds of shock can therefore substantially alter the mechanical characteristics of these structures and prevent them from performing their functions.
To date, composite materials have been used mainly for non-structural parts, like aerodynamic hoods or for structural parts located in “protected” areas, since these parts are not very capable of withstanding environmental hazards.
But today, there are attempts to use these composite materials to build aircraft fuselages or wings or train trucks . . . to improve the performance of these means of transportation. These composite materials will therefore be particularly exposed to direct shocks.
It therefore makes sense to study the risks associated with the mechanical shocks that such parts could suffer to ascertain their behavior and determine whether they can still function nominally despite the presence of one or more impacts.